American Samoa News

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) — The National Park Service says work is underway to restore fine mats and tapa cloths damaged when tsunamis ripped through its American Samoa visitor's center last week. Akenese Zec, the president of the Samoan weaver organization Inailau A Tina, is leading the restoration efforts. Traditional treatments for the fine mats, which are made and repaired with stripped bandana leaves, start with applying a Samoan oil to the front and back of each mat.

The tsunami that rushed ashore last week at the National Park of American Samoa damaged the visitors center, washed away some artifacts inside and forced workers to relocate to a two-bedroom apartment, authorities said Monday.In neighboring Samoa, the U.N. children's fund was preparing to begin a mass measles vaccination program for 11,000 children later this week.

Shortly before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29th, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck 120 miles from American Samoa, a U. S. territory with a population of approximately 65,000 people. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami that produced several large waves that destroyed the park’s visitor center and  offices.  All park employees and volunteers are accounted for and are safe. At least one employee's house and four employees' vehicles were destroyed by the tsunami.